The Power of Focus

An interviewer once asked Bill Gates and Warren Buffet what the greatest key to their success was. They both gave the same one-word answer: focus. This is another concept that is easy to understand but difficult to put into practice. There is so much going on around us with our friends, family, hobbies, work, etc., that it’s easy to get distracted and scattered. Also, there is so much opportunity around us. It takes austere discipline and “tunnel-vision” to stay focused on a single major goal.

My favorite quote about the importance of focus comes from the legendary showman P.T. Barnum. This is what he says (I underlined my favorite part):

Do not scatter your powers. Engage in one kind of business only, and stick to it faithfully until you succeed or until you conclude to abandon it. A constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man’s undivided attention is centered on one object, his mind will constantly be suggesting improvements of value which would escape him if his brain were occupied by a dozen different subjects at once.

The metaphor of “a constant hammering on one nail” resonates with me. Think about the power and energy of a hammer hitting a nail. What if that energy were spread wider and wider? It wouldn’t yield nearly as much power. If you have a specific goal, and all of your power and energy is focused on it, you will have the best chance of success.

One of the most difficult aspects of concentrating our energy is that it requires elimination. It requires a boldness that many of us don’t possess. There is a risk involved in putting all of our energy toward one main goal. What if it doesn’t work out? What if your time, energy, and resources end up being wasted? It takes courage to eliminate certain distractions, activities, and other goals from our lives. But that courage is what it takes to achieve a difficult goal. Ask yourself if you have a clear and specific primary goal, and if you are willing to eliminate other goals, activities, and distractions in order to achieve it.

Here are some helpful tips for staying highly focused:

Start your day by accomplishing the most important tasks for your goal.

Be disciplined about the time you spend on email, phone calls, social websites, reading the news, and other distractions that can pull your time and energy.

Have a systematic way of getting things done, and be very strict about it.

Avoid multitasking.

Be as specific as possible about your goal and the milestones to reach it.

Be sure to make progress every single day.

Avoid conflicts.

Keep a reminder of your main goal in a place where you will see it every day. (A good example of this is from the late-singer Michael Jackson. While recording one of his albums, he put a note on his mirror that said “100 million.” His goal was to sell 100 million copies of his new album. He didn’t end up selling that many, but he did sell a lot!)

One does not accumulate, but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. (Bruce Lee)